It is truly an impressive feat that Apple has sold over 1 billion phones. With that information in mind, it's safe to say that the iOS market is alive and kicking. And the iOS app development trends of 2018 are a reflection of this.

So, let's have a look at 5 development trends that you should take note of.

1. Augmented Reality

Back in 2016, the rise of Pokémon Go brought Augmented Reality (AR) into the public's eye. Since then, there have been major discussions on how the interactive aspect of AR can be used to create engaging virtual content.

Since June 4, 2018, Apple has released the AR Kit 2. It offers developers the possibility to create amazing augmented reality experiences that engage the user unlike ever before.

AR can be used for immersive gaming, social apps and even as a practical solution that allows users to view a product before purchasing it.

For example, IKEA's VR app allows users to view and virtually place the furniture in different parts of their rooms before picking it up from the store. This way, shoppers have a preview of how the furniture pieces they're considering would look like in their homes.

2. Apps with Core ML

Mobile phones are becoming more powerful by the day, and machine learning requires a lot of processing power to be able to work with high volumes of information.

When you pair these two, it's unsurprising to see iOS app development trends take the path of machine learning.

With machine learning, developers can add an array of intelligent features to their apps, such as face recognition, for example.

3. Apple Pay

As a solution for people's concern over the privacy and accessibility of funds, Apple released its own wallet application: Apple Pay.

Now, users can make payments from the comfort of their own phones - without having to carry cash or credit cards. Not to mention that in-app purchases are secure and more convenient for users.

Some of the iOS app development trends that have emerged as a result of this release include the advancement of payment services that work with Apple Pay.

For example, apps to order food, for shopping, for booking tickets, and pretty much anything else that involves payment.

4. Swift 4

Introduced by Apple as a powerful and easy solution to learning the programming language for the iOS, Swift 4 came as an update to Swift 3 and promises to add more stable features.

Swift 4 has gained the attention of the iOS community thanks to its adaptability, as well as the fact that it is code-compatible with Swift 3. Of course, Apple's marketing it as the reliable pick for mobile app development also played a role.

One of the reasons why Swift is seeing a steady adoption rate is that apps programmed in Swift 4 are faster and utilize less memory space. An indicator of this is that popular networking libraries (such as AFNetworking) are being ported to Swift.

5. Apple Homekit

Apple Homekit is a framework that allows users to sync smart devices around their house and access all of them via phone or through Siri.

An emerging trend among developers and manufacturers is to build products with Apple's Homekit in mind. In other words, you can expect to see many appliances and gadgets which can be controlled using a phone in the future.

Soon, by simply saying something like "Siri, turn off the lights" or "Siri, turn off the AC," you can address commands that let you conveniently control devices in your house.

Want to Know More about iOS App Development Trends?

The future is extremely exciting for the iOS market and we're looking forward to seeing what amazing apps will pop up next.

We are Wolfpack Digital and we are an energetic team that builds successful iOS apps from top to bottom! App development is what we're most passionate about.